If you don’t have time for a trip up to Yosemite or the Federal lands near us and still want to get out and enjoy nature, you don’t have to go far to get your fix in our own backyard at Ahwahnee Hills Regional Park off of Hwy 49 adjacent to Wasuma Elementary School in Ahwahnee. Although I walked a ...

A good workout hike was what I needed and the trail out of Sky Harbor fit that bill. The valley’s patchy fog was lifting as I hiked, casting beautiful reflections in Millerton Lake as I dodged the cowpies on the trail. Where: Millerton Lake State Recreation Area, San Joaquin River Gorge Special Management Area, Bureau of Land Management Distance: 9.05 ...

I finally had a window between house projects, weather and commitments to escape, so Sally and I loaded up the camper and headed to Moss Landing. Just north of Monterey, it was the perfect place to relax and smell that ocean air. As soon as I checked in at the KOA and got the camper set up, there was a ...

A short drive and a short hike gave me the outdoor break that I needed from working around the house and yard. I headed down the hill to hike along Hensley Lake, a rolling, hilly hike in the greening foothills. Where: Hensley Lake, Army Corps of Engineers Distance: 5.39 Miles Difficulty: Easy to Moderate, depending on how far you go ...

I got a lot done last week but a blog wasn’t one of those things that I accomplished. Since I wasn’t able to get out on a hike, I wanted to share a rerun of a good snowshoe hike that starts adjacent to the Tenaya Lodge. Although this blog may be from 2017, this adventure just may be perfect after ...

Watching a sunset is one of my teeny tiny adventures. Why do I love sunsets? Part of their beauty is the surprise of discovering just what kind of sunset it will become. 2019 sure treated us to some beautiful sunsets and I took a look back through my photos. December 31st was a dandy sunset, ending a year of many ...

On December 22, I always start my day with biscuits and gravy. More about the why later but I chose to head to Rev’s Farm House in Oakhurst for this year’s biscuits and gravy. I arrived shortly after they opened and was greeted with a big smile from Cindy, inviting me to pick any table to sit at. I knew ...

Badger Pass Ski Area had just opened for the season and that meant that it was time for us to do some fun snow things. Those nordic trails were open, groomed, begging us to slap our snowshoes on and see the fabulous snow blanketed high country. Where: Yosemite National Park Distance: 7.37 Miles Difficulty: Moderate Elevational Range: 7,237′ to 7,382′ ...

Beautiful snow was waiting for our adventure, snowshoeing along Tamarack Ridge above Shaver Lake. Where: Tamarack SNO-PARK, Sierra National Forest Distance: 5.11 miles Difficulty: Moderate Elevational Range: 7,460′ to 7,911′ Date: December 11, 2019 Maps: High Sierra Ranger District Winter Recreation Guide, Dinky Creek Topographic Quad Dog Hike? Maybe We were heading out on our first snowshoe adventure of the season ...

Rainy days are the perfect day for working on a jigsaw puzzle. I had been waiting for just the perfect weather where I could have a fire going in the woodstove and get to it. There are a few rules and tools that I have for jigsaw puzzles. Once I start a puzzle, I like to leave it in place ...